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Multimodal Texts

Film trailers are excellent examples of multimodal texts as they make meaning through a powerful combination of different modes of communication:

  • written text on screen
  • spoken language
  • moving images
  • music
  • sound effects

Watch the following trailers:

  • The Croods
  • Welcome to the Punch
  • Now You See Me

Use the downloadable chart below to help you organise your analysis of the multimodal features and their impact on the audience.

Download worksheet: PDF icon Word icon

 

Extension

Choose one trailer from here to analyse in detail. Discuss with a partner how three features of this multimodal text work together to create and reinforce meaning for the audience.

Close

The Croods

[Music]

EEP: My name’s Eep and this is my family, the Croods.

[Growl]

EEP: We’ve been in a cave forever.

GRUG: Three days is not forever.

EEP: It is with this family.

UGGA: Mom, we’re ready to leave! Mom?
 
GRAN: Still alive!

GRUG: (sighs) It’s still early.

EEP: We never had the chance to explore the outside world because of my dad’s one rule.

GRUG: New is always bad! Never not be afraid.

[Eep groans]

EEP: But what we didn’t know was that our world was about to change.

GRUG: Get to the cave!

[Rocks falling]

GRUG: Look out!

EEP: You really need to see this.

[Collective gasp of astonishment]

EEP: We should go there.

GRUG: No.

[Animal growls]

GRUG: Go! go!

TEXT: FROM DREAMWORKS ANIMATION

GRAN: Where are we?

GRUG: I’m not sure.

THUNK: Dad?

GRUG: I’ll take care of this… [shouts]

[Sound of punch]

THUNK: Alright Dad! Get ‘em! Go get ‘em!

GRAN: (laughs) I’m lovin’ this.

TEXT: AND THE CREATORS OF HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

GUY: I’m Guy.

[Eep sighs]

GUY: And this is Belt. Cook conversationalist, navigator. Also, keeps my pants up. We need to leave immediately. The world is ending.

EEP: What?

GUY: Everything we’re standing on right here will be gone. I’m calling it, The End.

[Smashing rocks]

BELT: Da da daaah!

TEXT: IN 2013

GRUG: We need a cave

GUY: I can help you. Come with me.

EEP: We can do it Dad.

GRUG: Croods stick together…except for you two!

TEXT: DISCOVER AN ADVENTURE

GRAN: It’s taking too long!

GUY: We gotta move faster. I call them shoes.

EEP: Arraaaaaaaaah! I love them! Where are my feet?

TEXT: OF PREHISTROIC PROPORTIONS

BELT: Ooooh!

[Roars]

GRUG: Cave! Everyone inside!

THUNK: Hey look this cave has a tongue! Awesome!

[Collective scream]

TEXT: DREAMWORKS THE CROODS

EEP: What is that?

GUY: Fire.

THUNK: Hey, it’s burning me! Ouch!

GRUG: Tall hiding from it in the tall dry grass. Oh!

TEXT: MARCH 2013 IN 3D

 

Welcome to the Punch

[POLICE SIRENS]

MAN: We haven’t been able to get anywhere near Sternwood for years, so when you take him down this time, you take him down hard.

JUKA: He’s created a legend for himself.

MAX: The only lasting thing about Jacob Sternwood should be his prison sentence.

TEXT: MOMENTUM PICTURES, AN ALLIANCE FILMS COMPANY

MAN: Last night a man was picked up suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach. He’s Jacob Sternwood’s son.

MAX: If he thinks he can walk his son out he’s gonna check the angles.

MAX: Sternwood!

TEXT: IN 2013

SARAH: Can you just take a step back for a minute?

TEXT: KNOW

MAN: Max is an inch away from piecing all this together.

TEXT: YOUR

SARAH: Maybe it’s not all about Jacob Sternwood.

TEXT: ENEMY

[GUN FIRE]

JACOB: Move! Get out!

 TEXT: FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER RIDLEY SCOTT

[GUN FIRE]

MAX: We’ll end this tonight. And when it’s over, you’ll go to prison.

[GUN FIRE]

[CAR BRAKES SCREECH]

MAN: Why don’t we just let off some fireworks while we’re at it?

[EXPLOSION]

MAX: He’d written something on his hand ‘Punch 119’.

MAX: Get down!

[GUN FIRE]

TEXT: WELCOME

TEXT: TO

TEXT: THE

TEXT: PUNCH

TEXT: WELCOME TO THE PUNCH

TEXT: CREDITS, COMING SOON

 

Now You See Me

[MUSIC]

THADDEUS: Come in close. Because the more you think you see, the easier it’ll we are going to fool you

MICHAEL: Ladies and gentlemen!

HENLEY: For our final trick.

MICHAEL: We are going to rob a bank.

MERRITT: On the count of three, you will be teleported through space and time to your bank in Paris.

JACK: ONE

MICHAEL: TWO

HENLEY: THREE

HENLEY: Everyone in this room was a victim of hard times.

MERRITT: Some of you lost your homes, your cars.

MICHAEL: So tonight.

HENLEY: We’re going to return some of that money back to you.

[CROWD CHEERS]

MICHAEL: Thank you everyone.

MERRITT, MICHAEL, HENLEY AND JACK: Goodnight!

POLICE: Freeze! Hands where I can see ‘em.

POLICEMAN: Can you explain to me how you went from Las Vegas to Paris in three seconds.

MICHAEL: What do the kids call it these days? Oh, magic.

POLICEMAN: I’m going to nail your…

MICHAEL: First rule of magic, always be the smartest guy in the room.

THADDEUS: You bank was the distraction while they set up the real trick.

ARTHUR: Expose them now and destroy them.

[CROWD SCREAMS]

MERRITT: Hang on, hang on, I’ve got nothing.

MICHAEL: OK thank you, thank you for the delay.

THADDEUS: Whatever this grand trick is, it was designed a long time ago. And I believe what’s about to follow is really going to amaze.

TEXT: NOW YOU SEE ME

THADDEUS: Look closely, because the closer you think you are, the less you’ll actually see.

TEXT: COMING SOON